I know what some of you are thinking: “I won’t have to scavenge because I already have everything I need.” Maybe, maybe not. Even if you’ve been prepping for years, it’s still possible you forgot a few things. But even if you didn’t, you could still end up in a situation where you need something you never thought you’d need.

What if you have to take in a pregnant woman or a parent with a small child? You may have to go looking for baby formula. What if your mother’s prescription medications are lost or destroyed? You may have to go looking for replacement meds. What if vital equipment is damaged? What if you need parts for your shelter or vehicle? These are just a few possibilities off the top of my head. There are dozens more situations we won’t think of until we’re in them.

The point is, you might have to scavenge for supplies after the SHTF. If someone’s life is on the line, you’ll have no choice. But before I explain how to scavenge after the SHTF, I want to clear up some confusion about the difference between scavenging and looting.

Scavenging is Not Looting

After hurricane Katrina, were the people running down the street with arms full of jewelry and electronics scavenging or looting? I think that’s pretty clear. Looters are not looking for things they need to stay alive; they’re just taking advantage of the situation. Looters know someone is going to miss the stolen items. They know the owner will eventually return and find out what’s missing. For these reasons, looters are no different from common thieves.

Scavengers are a different breed altogether. They search for things they need to live through a disaster, and they only take things that have been discarded or are unlikely to be missed. There could be a situation where you have to take food or medicine that will be missed, but I believe this is justified if someone needs it to live. Taking food or medicine right out of someone else’s hands is another matter.

I know of some legalists who insist that stealing is stealing no matter the circumstances, but morality is not a simple list of do’s and don’ts. Frankly, people who are squeamish about morally gray areas will not do well after the SHTF. Now on to scavenging.

Send a Scout

If you know the area you want to search, it’s a good idea to send a scout with binoculars, a radio, and a gun. Scouts should watch the area for a few hours to make sure no one is living there and that there are no bandits lying in wait. It might sound paranoid, but some people become very dangerous when there are no police to keep them in check. The last thing you want is to get robbed or possibly killed while scavenging for supplies.

The radio is so your scout can stay in touch. If the area is compromised or not worth the trouble, the group’s leader can instruct the scout to return or to check another area. If you lose contact with your scout, you’ll know something is wrong and can send reinforcements. But the reinforcements need to be careful not to wander into a trap. The purpose of the scout’s gun should be obvious.

When surveying the area, the scout needs to note any obstacles that might make the area more trouble than it’s worth. Examples include barbed wire fences, high walls, ditches, streams, and so forth. All these things might make it too difficult or dangerous to lug back supplies.

The scout should also note whether any buildings in question have been damaged by things such as bombs or and earthquake. You don’t want the stairs you’re climbing to collapse or a ceiling to fall on your head while you’re digging through rubble. You and your group will have to weigh the costs versus the benefits and the risks versus the rewards before searching an area.

Make a Plan

Once you’ve decided where to go and what to look for, you’ll have to decide who to send. Never send someone alone. He or she could twist an ankle or something and need help returning to camp. Also, there could be heavy obstacles or supplies that require at least two people to move. And remember, one person is far more likely to be robbed or killed than a group of people. Ideally you would send several people, but that depends on how many you can spare. You don’t want to leave children alone at your camp.

Everyone who goes should bring a sturdy backpack along with several empty bags (cloth, mesh, or even trash bags for light stuff), work gloves, a multitool, a good knife, a flashlight, a gun, a face mask, and goggles. Those last two are in case the location’s air is full of dust, smoke, or toxic chemicals. At least one person in the group should also have a crowbar. And if you need gasoline, don’t forget to bring a siphon and a gas can.

If you have several areas to search, you’ll have to decide the order in which to search them. It’s better to start farther out and work your way back toward camp so you don’t waste energy carrying supplies farther than necessary. But if you know the heaviest items are going to be in a particular place, you might want to go there last. If scavenging your area is going to take several days or weeks, you should get a map and mark the locations you search so you don’t accidentally visit the same place twice.

Where to Look

Pretty much everywhere! Here are some possible targets and what you may find within them.

Automotive Shops – You have a better chance of finding the part you need here than in a department store. It’s true now, and it will be true after the SHTF, too.Cars – You’ll want to check the glove box, under the seats, and in the trunk for snacks, tools, and other useful items. Parts of the car itself might prove useful, too. The mirrors could be used for signalling, the wiring for cordage, the upholstery for bedding and insulation, the battery for power (if someone in your group is mechanically inclined), and of course the engine parts if you need them for your own vehicle.Distribution Centers – Most people will hit grocery stores first, so it will be a little longer before the warehouses are picked clean. Even then, there may be a few things that were overlooked. Also check the semi-trailers. You may find non-perishable foods and other supplies.Dumpsters – It won’t be fun, but you might find some hidden treasures in dumpsters.Fire stations – You may find food, supplies, and clothing. Plus, the fire engine has a tank with hundreds of gallons of water. It will need to be filtered, though.Gas Stations – These will probably be picked clean, but you never know.Government Buildings – Most federal installations have commercial grade solar panels. You may also find backup lighting and emergency supplies.Grocery Stores – These will probably be picked clean, too, but you may find food in less obvious places such as under shelves and behind displays. Also check the bathrooms, the offices, the stock room, and the loading dock.Hospitals – Obviously these should have lots of clothes and medical supplies.Houses – Check everywhere–rooms, garage, basement, attic, backyard, storage sheds, the garden if there is one, etc. The water heater has up to 70 gallons of drinking water. Better yet, look for houses with swimming pools. Also keep an eye out for metal mailboxes which can be converted into woodstoves.Manufacturing Facilities – They may have fuel, batteries, tools, and first aid supplies.Marinas – Check abandoned boats. They usually have supplies like emergency rations, communication equipment, fishing equipment, and possibly guns.Office Buildings – Check break rooms for vending machines and check desks for snacks and small tools. There should be fire extinguishers in most rooms and cleaning supplies in the janitor’s closet.Pawn Shops If you’re lucky you’ll find weapons, ammo, and other miscellaneous gear.Pet StoresIf your pets are still okay, a pet store might make it possible for you to keep feeding them without giving up any of your own food. You could also eat it yourself, but I wouldn’t recommend that unless you’re really desperate. There are no FDA regulations on pet food and it could make you sick if you eat too much.Restaurants – These will probably be empty, but check anyway. There may be a few cans or bags of food that were overlooked. Anything that was in the freezer will have gone bad, though.Retail Stores – See “Grocery Stores” above. Consider grabbing some non-electric entertainment such as books, cards, board games, sports equipment, etc.Schools – There’s a lot to be found in schools–tools, fire extinguishers, first aid kits, cleaning supplies, and possibly food in the cafeteria.Self-storage Facilities – If you have time to pry open all of them, it might be worth it. You probably won’t find any food or perishable items, but there ‘s a chance you’ll find some clothes or useful gear and equipment.

Comments

Scavanging/Salvaging/Scrounging
Isn’t just something to do after SHTF?
It is something you should actually be Practicing now?
I practice it as part of my regular P&S training & Exercises..
Because included in this Scavanging/Salvaging/Scrounging?
I rebuild, Recycle, Upcycle, Reuse & even make & modify to turn Junk into useful items.
It also allows me to build up things? that will have a high trade value later after SHTF.. but those same things have a trade value now as well?

Wow. Look at all the morality, on display, here. Stealing, looting, or scavenging…call it what you want. I’m an OPPORTUNIST. Your loss is my gain.If I find, say, a flashlight, lying in the street, which YOU lost. I will stop to pick it up.Yeah, I’ll hang on to it, for thirty days, for you to come claim it. After that,if you don’t show, I consider it mine. In a SHTF situation,where there is no foreseeable end, but your/my own mortality,…I’m gonna do whatever I need to survive.Will I kill you, for a can of hash? Probably not. Would I look for necessary items,to survive,in places that don’t belong to me? HELL YEAH! If you, and I were neighbors, and you told me you were leaving, and probably were never to return, I’d be the first one to show up at your rummage sale, after you leave. If you can’t tell the difference between, an abandoned house, and an inhabited one, that is your problem. Do I prep? Of course, only a dumb ass, doesn’t. At some point in time, preps will run out. For those that think I’m a thief, here’s a morality question, I will leave you with…would you look for necessities in a Gov’t building?Your tax money paid for it.

P.S. John, are you a Born Again Christian? Because you sound like one. Your “holier than thou” demeanor, won’t help you in a SHTF scenario, or the hereafter. Yeah, yeah,…we’re all going to hell, if we don’t agree with how you see things…….whatever…

Reading some of these comments really has me wondering. This “John” character… let me present to you a scenario. SHTF (Obviously) you’ve been able to survive six months now. Its pretty clear it’ll be a while before any sort of government can be reestablished. No order what so ever. Huge apocalyptic event. your wife, girlfriend, son, daughter, mother, father, sibling, uncle, cousin.. whoever it may be, is dying. Now, you and I both know, there is no way to prepare for every situation. IDC what you tell yourself there’s just no way. It isn’t possible. Like it or not, something will come up that you wont be prepared for. That’s just the way it is and we all need to accept that. Now, the way I see it is you have two options. Either let your loved one die beside you. Or try to do something about it. Now really imagine yourself in this situation. Seriously, give it a shot. What do you have to lose? You’re a prepper right? You must have done this before to get to where you are! Okay, so whats your plan? A or B? I’m willing to bet you’re going to chose plan B and go find the item you need, Right? What do you call it at that point? Stealing? Looting? Scavenging? You would find a way. Any sane human being would do what it takes to save that person. Honestly, I think a lot of people would give you the item you need anyways. I certainly wouldn’t call scavenging an item that will save a loved ones life stealing. Isn’t that kinda what prepping is all about anyways? Staying alive in a terrible situation? The article isn’t about taking crap from living people who need or want it too. And it certainly isn’t saying scavenging should be your first resort. Your close minded thinking wouldn’t help anyone at all in this situation. Maybe you’ve got a good reason for not thinking outside the box maybe not. i don’t know. I’m not you. However, I do know that if it were me in that situation, I’d at the VERY least take a look around. John, Doomsday is gunna kick you right in the ass. That much I know.

Thanks for sharing. I know some people hate to think this, but there are some moral gray areas where we have to think hard about what is right. It would be nice if every situation were black or white, but that’s not how it is.

I think a good idea before going scavenging, is to make sure you have some items that would make a good trade. If you come across groups of people, etc, you can trade for needed items. Not that you’re going out to make friends, but you certainly don’t want to make enemies while out and about either.

Back to schools—especially at the beginning of the school year, kids bring in supplies to help out the class and the teacher usually stores them in her closet–pens, pencils, paper, crayons, tissues, hand sanitizer, glue sticks, wipes, etc. times how many classrooms? Wow! Don’t forget the nurse’s office. Not likely to find any drugs (unless its meds for individual students) but there’s first aid items. If its a high school, maybe they have a concession stand for the football or basketball games—that would mean cases of sodas/water/ gatoraid, candy, maybe #10 cans of cheese sauce and boxes of tortilla chips, popcorn, paper goods, etc. If you’re lucky–beef jerky, frozen hotdogs/corn dogs, pizza, coffee, hot coco mix.
The coaches office might have heat packs, cold packs, ace bandages, splints, etc.

Absolutely! I work in a public school cafeteria and there are a lot of food items, not to mention chemicals and some first aid supplies just in our kitchen itself. Like the article mentioned, the freezer/fridge items will be junk if not scavenged within a day or two of power outage, but cans upon cans (usually #10 sized) of fruits and vegetables can be opened and reprocessed in canning jars to last and make more servings. Flour, sugar, etc is also in abundance.

How could I forget! I also worked in the school cafeteria—#10 cans everywhere! And don’t forget the heavy duty can opener and some equipment might be useful as well—large pots, utensils, knives, institutional size plastic wrap and foil, even the half sheetpans could be of use. So much to consider!

Scavenging should be about saving lives, yours or others. If it’s something you need to stay alive, then it’s justified. As long as you’re not harming others, that is. Life is more important than material goods. And that is what we’re talking about here, preservation of life, not increasing one’s wealth.
On a side note, if you’re hording more “goods” than you need, and won’t share to save other peoples lives, you are what’s wrong with this world. What is worse? Stealing what you NEED to survive, or letting people die because you don’t want to share your stuff?

Scavenging should be about saving lives, yours or others. If it’s something you need to stay alive, then it’s justified. As long as you’re not harming others, that is. Life is more important than you get what you deserve.material goods. And that is what we’re talking about here, preservation of life, not increasing one’s wealth.
On a side note, if you’re hording more “goods” than you need, and won’t share to save other peoples lives, you are what’s wrong with this world. What is worse? Stealing what you NEED to survive, or letting people die because you don’t want to share your stuff?

I live in metro area with nearly 400,000 people in it – with nearby cities that have close to that. So – once SHTF – I’d guess that on this side of the state – (WEST MICHIGAN ) there would be a million or more zombies looking for eats, treats, sleeps, fuel and protection. Within the first three days of All Hell Breaking Loose – any place that might have anything to keep people alive will have been fought over and picked clean. Scavenger’s are Looters or Thieves because every property and piece of land is owned by someone. Looting is dangerous and life threatening- because other looters will view you as a target to hit for what you have – possibly shadowing you to see where you go to spend the night and then attack you and your group there. There is NO HONOR among Thieves! Prep and hunker down!

scavenging is taking what someone else has discarded or left behind, those that say it is stealing have missed the point, making use of something which has been abandoned is not theft. post SHTF it will be WROL(without rule of law) and you’ll have to make your own decisions and live with it.

Hotels! The larger ones have restaurants (food) and banquet functions (again, food.) Some of them have emergency stores of equipment in case of crisis, and there’s always the extra linens in laundry and tools in maintenance.

Do you really think that the clerk at Walgreens is going to fight to the death to protect someone else’s property? When the world goes SHTF you better have as many resources already stored away or you will be forced to go find them? In a SHTF situation taking from, let’s say, CVS or Target simply isn’t the same as taking from your neighbor down the street. You could say that “stealing is stealing” no matter who the items are coming from but during a SHTF world that kind of over simplified view of the world is going to leave a lot of people WAY behind the curve and starving.

I doubt I will be dead because I didn’t steal what doesn’t belong to me. Justify your theft anyway you like you will still be a thief. It’s called PREPPING and you should try it rather than being a thief.

It’s called NOT YOURS!! I suppose your neighbors leave armed guards when they go on vacation so you don’t steal their belongings. Frankly I hope you have to leave and come back to find everything you own stolen or destroyed. People like yourself will be the marauders and looters and hopefully the decent folks will shoot your ass. Now having said that I have no more time to waste on someone that talks shit but uses a phony name. Hiding because you are a thief?

A couple of things:
1. You seem to be confusing life in the everyday world and life in a SHTF situation. The two are simply not the same. 2. And “John”, my last name is Apple therefore MrApple is who I actually am.

I’m not confusing anything. When you enter someone else’s home and take things you are a thief. Justify it however you need to sleep at night but you are still a thief. There’s no sense in telling you this because you are sure if no one is home it belongs to you anyway but don’t be surprised when someone steps out and shoots your ass dead. Have a nice life!!

That’s for sure. Being 64 and disabled I and my wife won’t be running down the road to the woods. I will fortify my home and should a scavenger make the mistake of breaking in we will carry them back out.

He isn’t talking about a hurricane hitting. He is talking about the whole country is in a shtf scenario. Like a EMP, nukes being set off (as long as you’re not in the blast and radiation areas obviously), basically anything where everyone is on their own. Honestly the government won’t be coming to help in most of those kinds of scenarios. Never the less you say stealing is stealing. So what if Salk your supplies are run out, you’re neighbors house has everything you need. Your neighbor is dead and has no other family. Would you let you and whoever is with you die because of your morals?

I generally agree with what you’re saying. I think you misunderstood me, or maybe I didn’t make myself clear. I am not advocating than anyone rob their neighbors as Tyler Smith has threatened to do.

I believe it is alright to take supplies from a place if the owners are probably dead or unlikely to ever return. In that case, the things left behind do not really have an owner so I don’t think it counts as stealing. Also, I am talking about scenarios where there is a complete breakdown of the rule of law. This is not something you should do during a local, temporary disaster.

I also agree that it could be dangerous to scavenge homes and stores which is I why I said you should watch the area for a while first and make sure it is abandoned. Hope that helps.

The problem I have with the whole line of reasoning in this article is that, first, it requires everyone else accept what your new definition for the word “scavenge” is. Breaking into homes or businesses, abandoned or not, is not scavenging. Then using this new definition of scavenge, we all need to agree, based on what particular items are being taken, what separates the scavengers from the looters. Stealing guns is scavenging, stealing electronic items is looting, from your example. Seems pretty open to personal interpretation, but lets pretend that everyone has agreed on both the new definition of scavenge and also what items fall into the scavengable category. Now there’s the “abandoned” question, what exactly determines whether something is abandoned or not? From your description, sounds like the scout gets to make that call based on what he can see through his binoculars for a couple hours. A couple hours doesn’t mean abandoned, it just means no one was around when he got there.

See the problem with all of this yet? Each individual gets to decide arbitrarily whether their actions are criminal or not. That’s not how it works now, and it’s not going to be how it works then either. If it assuages anyone’s guilty conscious to call breaking, entering, and theft “scavenging” instead, fine. Doesn’t change what it really is though, or how the thieves might be treated if caught. I think I can sum up this whole article in a single sentence; if you steal something and get away with it then you’re a scavenger, if you get caught then you’re a looter. That’s a lot easier for everyone to remember I think.

These people probably think if you went on vacation you have abandoned your house and they can take whatever they like. No amount of truth will sway them because in their minds they are the Mighty Survivors and everything they want is theirs.

If someone drops a $100 dollar bill and you didn’t see them drop it. You pick it up and stick it in your pocket. Is that stealing, because no one was around. Or did you take it because you may need it later.

And you can judge by looking at the place that the owner is dead or never coming back? Your vision is much better than mine. For ANYONE brave enough to try and rob me or mine there are several bullets we will gladly give you. One at a time!!

Good article, but I have a couple questions. If we needed the jewelry to barter for food or medicine,
or the electronics were radio equipment my group really needed, that would make scavenging those OK too right?

While scouting the area and approaching the target, what can we do to identify ourselves as scavengers and not looters/raiders if someone we didn’t see is watching us?

Do we have to wait until we’re out (or nearly out) of something critical before we go scavenging for more of it? We’re fairly well stocked, so if we wait until we’re running out of supplies then the sheeple and looters will have probably picked everything clean before we get there.

I believe it depends on the cause of the situation. We all know that an earthquake will eventually be cleaned up and things will get back to “normal”, but war/disease/etc… things might never be the same and it may be years before any type of “normal” resumes. In the worst case scenario, scavenge to extend your ability to stay safe for longer than you planned to. But think long term: growing food, permanent shelter, tools for safety, etc… Just my 2 cents 🙂

Larry stealing is stealing so take anything you want. Scavenging OR looting is taking things that DON’T BELONG TO YOU. Preppers think they can call it scavenging but it’s just plain ole ordinary theft!!

So if you’re child was starving to death and you came across a store that appears to be abandoned but has food inside, would you keep going just because you don’t want to be labeled a thief? Or would you do the right thing and feed your child? As I’ve said before, morality is not a simple list of do’s and don’ts. It depends on the situation.

There it is…the starving child. If your child is starving YOU didn’t prepare!! Don’t use your children as an excuse to steal. That’s just sad. You can hunt. You can grow a garden it’s YOU that are so fucking lazy you have to take what doesn’t belong to you. YOU are the one choosing so you go ahead and sit on your ass then tell everyone about morality and your poor starving child while you are stealing stuff. That will make it all right. No one said don’t take it. But at least have the balls to admit you are a lazy thief!!

It must be a lot easier to have a such a black-and-white view of morality. You don’t have to spend time thinking about various situations. Instead you just say, “This good, this bad.” Maybe I’m a lazy thief, but you’re a lazy thinker.

My particular morality has always been that in the worst case scenario it is acceptable to steal from corporations. Corporations may be ‘persons’ for legal purposes but in reality you do not know who all of the shareholders in publicly traded companies are. There would conceivably be no civil courts to sort out the actual rightful owners of the property of an abandoned Walmart for example. That is fair salvage in my my opinion. Stealing from people however is always wrong…